Feed-bag support



(No Model.)-

D. N. STOCK. FEED BAG SUPPORT.

Patented Dec; 27, 1892.

dry 14 0 NITE STATES ATENT ICE.

DENIS N. STOCK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FEED-BAG SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,850, dated December27, 1892.

Application filed May 19, 1892. Serial No. 433,567. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, DENIS N. STOCK, of the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFeed-Bags and Means for Supporting the Same While in Use, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to feed bags of the kind commonly known as nosebags, and consists in the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter specified and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, showing my inventionapplied to a wagon pole. Fig. 2 is atop plan View of same. Fig. 3 is anenlarged perspective view of a feed bag and its supporting parts, withportions broken away. Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of asupporting arm and adjacent parts, with portions broken away. Fig. 5 isa perspective view, with parts broken away, showing a modifiedconstruction of supporting arms, for use on short wagon poles, and Fig.6 is a top plan view of one of the feed bags or boxes, showing the loopson the closing straps, in section.

The object of my invention is to provide an 0 improved feed bag or boxwhich can be normally carried in the wagon or carriage and when desiredfor use be quickly applied to the wagon or buggy pole so as to project,one bag or box on either side of said pole, directly beneath the nosesof the animals.

1 indicates the removable feed bags or boxes, and as I contemplate usingtwo of them at one time, and as both are constructed in an identicalmanner, I will confine my description to one ofthem. The bag 1 may bemade of any suitable material adapted for the purpose, such, forinstance as heavy cotton duck, and it may be provided with either acanvas or wooden bottom.

2. 2 indicate parallel supporting loops located on and attached toopposite sides of the feed bag and secured in position in any suitblemanner, by means of stitches, or rivets. These loops may be formed ofleather, or they may be formed of ordinary rubber hose cut to a lengthcorresponding to the length of one side of the bag and attached to theopposite sides of the bag adjacent its open upper end.

3 indicates a leather strap provided with a suitable buckle 4. andordinary strap-loops 5, which is secured about the open upper end of thebag, by means of rivets or stitches and the function of which is toclose the mouth of the bag when desired, in order to prevent exit of thefeed in handling the bag before attachment to the pole of the vehicle.In some cases I may use an ordinary draw string or cord in lieu of thisclosing strap; or I may simply tie an ordinary cord or string about themouth of the bag, and the operation of each will be about the same. (SeeFig. 5.)

6 indicates a detachable supporting frame for the feed bag or box, soconstructed as to hold the mouth of the bag in an open position duringuse, and the same consisting of three separate arms which are preferablycast integral of iron, but which may of course be made separately andsecured together in any suitable way. For instance, the arms may be ofwood, or of wrought iron rods fashioned into about the shape now to bedescribed.

7 indicates parallel opposite arms having their outer ends free andtheir inner ends formed upon or secured to a body portion 8, which holdssaid arms at a determinate distance apart. Projecting inwardly from saidbody portion 8, and also formed integral therewith, or secured theretoin some way, is the locking arm 9 which is provided with a depression 10and an elevation or hook 11 upon its upper surface adjacent its innerend.

12 indicates a supporting arm, which is adapted to be engaged by thelocking arm just described as will be fully explained further on. Two ofthese supporting arms are made use of, and they are adapted to besecured upon the pole preferably in the manner now to be described,although of course they may be secured in such position in any knownmanner, such asby means of aleather strap, or by tying with a cord orstring.- At a point adjacent the inner ends of the sup- 1co porting arms12, said arms are perforated for the passage of a hinge-pin or pivot 13,and

are adapted to be applied to vehicle poles of; the usual length, that ispoles of such length 1 of and extending transversely across the theirends are then bent so as to form clampin g-j aws 14 which are fashionedto fit the outer surface of the polethat is, they are provided withcurved clamping-jaws and said arms are hinged or articulated togetheradjacent their inner ends. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The outer end of eachsupporting arm 12 is enlarged and provided with an aperture orperforation 15, which extends in a longitudinal direction so as to forma socket in which the locking arm 9 rests when in position for use.

16 indicates a cross bar extending across the socket 15 at the outer endof same, and upon which alocking-arm 9-rests byreasonof gravity.

17 indicates another cross-bar, formed upon or secured to the enlargedportion of the supporting arm and upon the upper surface there- 1 sockettherein. The cross-bar17 islocated at some distance from theouterterminal of the arm 12, and forms a portion of a gravity lock, thefunction of which is hereinafter stated.

The devices I have heretofore described as to project some littledistance in front of 1 the neck-yoke bar (in case a neck-yoke is used),or of such length as to project a sufticient distance forward topermitthe feed bagg supporting devices to be attached to the pole; andpermit the animals access thereto. In? case the pole is too short forthe above ,purpose, as it is sometimes found in .farmersl wagons, I makeuse of the modified constructionshown in Fig. 5, in whichI show thesup-, porting arms 12 bent at an angle and extended forward so as toprovide an extension 18, and the inner ends of the locking-arms 9 areattached to the forward portions of said? extensions in any suitablemanner. Thismay be done in the manner above described, or it maybe doneas shown in Fig. 5, in WhlChthG extensions 18 and the arms 9 are showninte-j gral. By means of these forward extensionsi 18 the feed bags orboxes may be applied to; comparatively short vehicle poles, and the saidbags or boxes still be located conveniently to the horses heads.

The operation is as follows: When it is de-' sired to attach the feedbags in position upon the pole, :for the purpose of feeding the ani-}mals, the clamping-jaws 1a are first made to encircle the pole near itsforward end, as shown in Fig. 1, and then as soon as the operatorreleases the parts, the weight of the arms 9 and 12 and contiguousparts, will causesaid arms 12 to gravitate downwardlywith considerableforce, depending upon the length of the arms and the distance the bags 1are located from said pole, and thisiaction will cause the clamping-jawsto firmly grip the pole on opposite sides, and so automatically retainthe entire device in proper position. This forms what I term a gravityother.

clamp. lVith the several parts in the posi- .point to permit the horse7snose to reach the bag, in feeding. In order to place the lockingarm 9 inposition, it is only necessary to insert its free end in the socket 15,until the projection or hook 11 passes the cross-bar 17, when uponreleasing the said arm 9 the weight of its outer portion will gravitatedownward,

and cause the said hook 11 to pass upbehind said cross-banand causethe-depression 10 in the upper surface of said locking-armto be engagedby said cross-bar, and so prevent withdrawal of said arm 9 from saidsocket, and securely lock the adjacent parts to-each What I have justdescribed I may term a gravity-lock.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 5 I have shown a feed bag in proper position upon theparallel arms .7, 7, and in Fig. 3 I have exhibited one removedtherefrom. When it is desired to place the feed bag upon the arms 7,17suchoperation maybe quickly performed by reason of said arms alwaysbeing at the proper distance apart. The loops 2 are to be slid upon .thearms 7, 7,.one loop upon each arm, and they will retain suchpositionduring the feeding operation, by reason of friction of theirinternal surfaces against the external surface of saidarms. From theabove it will be seen that I have produced an improved feed bag andmeans forsupportingthe same, by means of which a team of two horses,.ora single horse, may be fed while standing in harness hitched to thevehicle, withoutthe aid of any other support.

Heretofore some feed bags have been attached, directly to thehorsesheadand thereby supported during the feeding operation. In suchcases unless breathingapertures are provided in the bag adjacent itsbottom, breathing of the animal has been interfered with to aconsiderable extent or the animal has been compelled to reach to theground and rest the bag thereon, or throw its head up scattering thegrain in the :mud upon the ground wasting the food, and depriving theanimal of its food so Wasted. By my improved construction of feed bagsand supports, the above objectionsare in a great measure obviated, andform a combination of conveniences for both man and beast--that is, thecombination of a gravity clamp, the gravity lock and the feed bags, eachof which may be quickly detached from each other and again put together,economizing in time of the operator, in storage space and in food saved.

When'the device is not in use the parts may, as before stated, beremoved from the pole or shaft, separated, and stored away in very smallspace, in or about the wagon bed or buggy.

I desire to call attention to the fact that in using my device it isaltogether unnecessary to unhitch the animal or animals and turn themaround so they may have access to the ordinary feed box in rear of thewagon-bed.

No matter where the animal and vehicle may be, my improved devices maybe quickly put in place and the animals fed while standing in harnesshitched to the vehicle.

In order to limit the rotary movement of the clamping-jaws 14 upon thepole or shaft,

I locate upon the under surface of said pole or shaft a stop-lug orprojection 19, with which the free ends of said jaws will come incontact when the feed bag upon either side is depressed sufficiently farin the judgment of the operator. This stop-lug may be of any suitableform. This stop-lug may or may not be used, as the preference of theoperator'may dictate. The device above described is simple in operation,effective in use, and low in cost.

I do not desire to limit myself to the exact construction of supportingarm and connections, which I here show, as it is evident their forms maybe changed'by an ordinary mechanic, without departing from the scope ofmy invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a feed-bag support, the combination of two arms provided at theiropposing ends with reversely-curved members 14, said'arms being eachprovided with an aperture located in the angle formed by the straightand curved portions of said arms, and a pivot pin 13 passing throughboth of said apertures and pivotally securing said arms together;substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a feed-bag support, the combination, with a horizontal arm havinga bifurcated free end, and cross-bars 16 and 17 connecting the parallelmembers of said bifurcated end, the cross-bar 17 being located in rearof said cross-bar 16 and in a higher plane, of a detachablebag-supporting arm comprising a member 9 provided with depressionscoinciding with and adapted to respectively. receive the cross-bars 16and 17 substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DENIS N. STOCK.

Witnesses:

ALFRED A. EIOKS, ED LONGAN.

